Did you ever watch the movie, The Long, Long Trailer with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz? The movie is about a couple who purchase a travel trailer and spend a year traveling around the United States, like Gary and I plan to do. Remember how Lucy collected rocks along the way and the trailer grew heavier and heavier until it became overloaded and dangerous to tow in the mountains? Well I have a confession to make, I'm afraid our motorhome is going to grow too heavy with pottery I collect on our travels. Why do I think that? Because I've already started collecting pottery and we haven't even left yet.
If you read my last post, you saw the first piece of pottery, the Seagrove Horsehair Pot, I collected as the traveling potter. I needed more packing boxes, so I just had to stop at the Discovery Shop again. And I just had to get this ceramic sculpture of a woman holding up a pot with her feet. There is something happy-go-lucky about the woman lying there. She's humorous, folksy, and primitive all rolled into one. Doesn't her cute striped sundress (similar to number four) remind you of those shift sundresses from the 1960's? She's made from an earthenware pottery without much grog since she is fairly smooth to the touch. The piece is 4.5 inches tall at the top of the pot, 8 inches long, and 2.25 inches wide. There's no name or mark that I can find anywhere on the piece. Her face reminds me of an illustration or a cartoon character I have seen before, but I can't quite place it. What do you think? Do you like her? I do. I see myself in this sculpture, lying there thinking, thinking about pots.
When Gary and I were first married I started making rock walls at our first house. There was an old hydraulic gold mining pit in Michigan Bluff about 15 miles from our home and there were literally millions of quartz boulders, free for the taking. A true bargain hunter at heart, I just couldn't pass up the free rocks. So on weekends I would take our Jeep with our little four foot dump trailer and I'd get a load of rock. I'd wear my leather gloves and load the rock into the trailer and bring them home and then I'd unload the rocks into rip rap rock walls I built all over our property in Foresthill. Gary started calling me, "the rock lady".
Just before Gary and I moved from that house, Gary brought home the movie, The Long, Long Trailer, and said I needed to watch it before we left. He was worried I was going to collect rocks along the way and overload the airstream trailer we had at the time. This time Gary doesn't have to worry about rocks, but he might have to worry about pottery. Up next I'll tell you about a near pottery packing disaster, so check back again for more tales from the, soon to be, traveling potter, Linda Starr.
Hi Linda- I remember the rocks and travel trailer story well. It was funny. That Lucy!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the pots. I had to quit. I started buying in the late 70's a little at a time. Then really big in the 90's. Now I look but rarely can I buy.
There are so many really good pots out there and there are some I lust over.
I can't wait to see what you buy along the way from your house to mine.
I knew you would see the butterfly caterpillars all over the parsley in my last post. There is one in the spinning stage in the photo. I can't remember how many we counted but there are at least two different varities.
Keep packing!
M
Cool piece. How did she get that pot on her feet?
ReplyDeleteLinda, do you know about Kim MIles current blog re traveling in a fifth wheel and finding a new home after living in Taos? Kim is a glass artist. Great blog -Taking the long way home. Joan T
ReplyDeletedon't worry linda, pottery is not as heavy as rocks. if you're gonna do this trailer thing then don't watch "lost in america" with albert brooks or you might not leave.
ReplyDeleteHi Meredith, thanks, I almost missed those caterpillars, but then I saw the one starting to sping and said gee what is that - and I blew it up larger to look. If I am going to collect a few things, I better stick with small ones.
ReplyDeleteHi Michael, thanks I didn't think of that, perhaps she made the pot with her feet? or maybe she scooped it up in the sand, or someone else put it there. Now you have me thinking some more.
Hi Joan, no I didn't know about Kim Miles, I will look up her blog, thanks so much for the tip.
Hi Jim, thanks, yeah it's not as heavy but it does take up some room and Gary is going to kill me - I am such a collector. Don't worry even if I watch it we are still leaving, but I better check it out anyway.
Your post had me laughing this morning. And I love the little lady with the pot on her feet!
ReplyDeleteHi Patricia, thanks, I am glad you enjoyed the post. I'm hoping someone recognizes this pot, if not oh well, there's always more pots. Ha!
ReplyDeleteBelow a post sent direct to me - thought you might enjoy the fact that someone else thought the lady was wearing a 30s bathing suit - we all see something different in pottery - in art.
ReplyDelete"Your little lady is cute looks like she is related to Charlie Brown !!! and I thought it was a old fashion bathing suit like from the 30's
Since we had bought a bigger house in Oregon, I was garage saling before we left Calif and the moving van had to charge us for more space!!!!
I don't know what it is~~~
I'll have to find the Lucy movie :)"
Put me in the old fashioned bathing suit group. I think she looks a bit like Olive Oyl, Popeye's girl friend.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing the Lucy movie, not much about it.
Good luck with all your hunting and gathering of pots.
I have to look up Charlie Brown and see what he looks like, maybe she is related to him.
ReplyDeleteHi Patti, I just did a search on Olive Oyl and she looks a lot like her - you are really on to something. She has that round nose and the smile and the dark hair, thanks so much, I better get packing or I won't be going anywhere.
Hi Linda! Welcome to gypsy life! And thanks for the link. I just posted yours on my blog too. BTW... we tend to be rock collectors... not a good thing in an RV! Now I only pick up very, very small rocks, and leave most of them on the picnic table when we leave a place. See you on the road!
ReplyDeletelove this piece! VERY charming!
ReplyDeleteand the movie, I was actually on the Amazon waiting list for it to be released on dvd :) ;)
Hi Kim, too funny you are a rock collector. I have one rock I am keeping which I got in New Mexico, a beautful red one, but it will go in our moving van. I also collect driftwood, what can I say I am collector, I can't wait till all this packing is done and I can head out. Talk to you soon, thanks for the link.
ReplyDeleteHi Donna, isn't she just so cute. I love the fact this sculpture isn't "perfect" but the gist of the figure is there and it seems to work so well - that kind of letting go with the clay which I find hard to achieve. I would love to see the movie again, Lucy and Desi are so fun and remind me of my husband and myself sometimes. Ha!
ReplyDelete